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View synonyms for

abort

[uh-bawrt]

verb (used without object)

  1. to bring forth a fetus from the uterus before the fetus is viable; miscarry.

  2. to develop incompletely; remain in a rudimentary or undeveloped state.

  3. to fail, cease, or stop at an early or premature stage.

  4. Military.to fail to accomplish a purpose or mission for any reason other than enemy action.

  5. Rocketry.(of a missile) to stop before the scheduled flight is completed.



verb (used with object)

  1. to cause to bring forth (a fetus) from the uterus before the fetus is viable.

  2. to cause (a pregnant female) to be delivered of a nonviable fetus.

  3. to cause to cease or end at an early or premature stage.

    We aborted our vacation when the car broke down.

  4. to terminate (a missile flight, mission, etc.) before completion.

  5. to put down or quell in the early stages.

    Troops aborted the uprising.

noun

  1. a missile, rocket, etc., that has aborted.

abort

/ əˈɔː /

verb

  1. to undergo or cause (a woman) to undergo the termination of pregnancy before the fetus is viable

  2. (tr) to cause (a fetus) to be expelled from the womb before it is viable

  3. (intr) to fail to come to completion; go wrong

  4. (tr) to stop the development of; cause to be abandoned

  5. (intr) to give birth to a dead or nonviable fetus

  6. (of a space flight, military operation, etc) to fail or terminate prematurely

  7. (intr) (of an organism or part of an organism) to fail to develop into the mature form

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the premature termination or failure of (a space flight, military operation, etc)

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • unaborted adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of abort1

First recorded in 1570–80; from Latin abortus “miscarried,” past participle of ǰīī “to disappear, miscarry,” equivalent to ab- ab- + ǰīī “to rise, come into being”; orient ( def. )
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Word History and Origins

Origin of abort1

C16: from Latin ǰ, from the past participle of ǰīī to miscarry, from ab- wrongly, badly + ǰīī to appear, arise, be born
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The court filing alleges she tried to medically abort Halo in June 2023 but didn’t take the second dose of medication that would complete the task.

From

Shortly afterwards, the spaceship was also forced to abort its deployment of mock Starlink satellites after the payload door got stuck and had to be closed.

From

Just be sure to manage your expectations and laugh at any aborted attempts at intimacy.

From

The initial evacuation attempt had to be aborted due to the weather, but a second attempt just after midnight brought all four to safety.

From

After the attempt was eventually aborted, the season started with a home defeat by Brighton and a four-goal hammering at Brentford.

From

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